THE WORD OF GOD

A CONSIDERATION OF GOD'S UNCHANGING LAW 2

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THEME: TITLE:

THE WORD OF GOD A CONSIDERATION OF GOD'S UNCHANGING LAW 2

PRIMARY TEXT: EXODUS 19-20:23

INTRODUCTION I have asserted that Gods moral law for humanity is unchanging and that the ground of this is Gods unchanging nature. Unchangeableness in this regard means that that law will never cease to be Gods moral standard, that there would be no alterations or adjustments to it and that there would never be any change to its application, to its requirements and to the penalty for noncompliance. That being the case, it follows that the rules which God established for the first man to live by are the same that He has for all of humanity throughout their generations, and that will continue up until the last person is born and dies. Those rules will apply to the last person on the face of the earth in the same way as it did to the first. To put it another way, Gods law is perpetual, it is for all times, it is all embracing and it is for everybody. In those circumstances one can see how absolutely necessary it is for everyone to know Gods Law and how it is to be applied in their life, if we are to serve Him in the right way. In considering Gods Law I have been looking at the circumstances surrounding them being given at Mount Sinai. In that regard I looked at the following: God in His grace, called His people into His presence to speak with them, giving them His rule for life and living at that time. He called them out of Egypt and to the foot of Mount Sinai. Before they could approach His presence they had to make adequate preparations by consecrating themselves. That took the form of external
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cleansing. The message here is that nothing impure or unclean can enter Gods holy presence. Exodus 19:10 The next thing I observed was Gods fearful and dramatic manifestation of Himself, indicating that He is far superior to us and His presence will elicit fear and respect. Exodus 19:18-19 I also pointed out that God provided a mediator between Himself and humankind because sinful humanity cannot endure His holy presence directly. Exodus 19:20ff , 20:21 In addition, it was shown that God spoke the Law and wrote it Himself, indicating that it is unchanging and that it stands outside of humanity where it cannot be corrupted. It stands as their rule for life and as a ministration of condemnation, reflecting the holy, unchanging character of God. Exodus 20, 24:12, 32:18 Finally, I pointed out that the writing of Gods Law on stones became necessary because, although He had previously written it on mans heart, because mans heart got corrupted on account of his rebellion against God, the law written there also became corrupted. Ro. 1:18-19 There are still a few other points that are necessary to be made, regarding the circumstances surrounding Gods giving of His Law at Mount Sinai , before beginning to consider the Laws themselves. Among them are: THE PURPOSE FOR GIVING THE LAW AND INCENTIVES FOR OBEDIENCE. THE PURPOSE FOR GIVING THE LAW As to its purpose, what is the giving of the Law intended to do? I will identify three things that the Law is intended to do. The first is that the Law is a REVEALER. Romans 7:7 The Law is intended to reveal the only righteousness which is acceptable to God. In so doing it also reveals to us our own unrighteousness. God uses the Law to say to us this alone is what I will accept from you. It follows then that anything less than what His Law requires will not be accepted by Him.

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Because our sins have twisted our judgment of ourselves and our abilities, we feel that we are capable and that we do actually meet the requirements of the Law. In so doing we say, I worship the true God, I do not practice idolatry, I do not take Gods name in vain, I keep the Sabbath, I honour my parents, I do not murder, I do not commit adultery, I do not steal, I do not tell lies on anybody, I do not covet anything that belongs to my neighbour, I am a good Christian person. Luke 18:18-23 If we will take a close and serious look at the high and holy demands of Gods Law, however, comparing ourselves to it in sincerity, we will conclude that we are not meeting Gods standard and that we are in fact being condemned by the Law. Whenever we fall short of what the Law demands, it says to us you have missed the mark, you have failed, you are guilty of breaking Gods Law. Romans 7:14-15 The Law is intended to reveal the only righteousness which is acceptable to God. In so doing, it also reveals to us our own unrighteousness. Secondly, as to its purpose, the Law RESTRAINS. It restrains the wickedness of the heart. This restraint does not come because we love God and we want to obey His commands. It comes because of the awareness that there is a penalty for breaking the Law. It is because of this awareness that we keep ourselves from the outward and public performances of the evil deeds that enter our minds. In that regard the Law is to us like a policeman on patrol. We keep ourselves in check, especially in his presence. So, with regards to self restraint we do this not because we love God and we want to please and glorify Him, we do it for fear of condemnation. If we believe that we can perform the evil deed in secret and get away with it, we will go ahead and do it, especially if we see a benefit in it for us. This restraint that we put on ourselves does not commend us to God. The application of the Law only acts as a restraint, preventing us from going to the full extent to which we desire. It does not make us good in Gods sight. The third thing for which the Law is given, with regards to its purpose, is to be the RULE OF LIFE for all of humanity. The fact that God specifically spoke it to the people whom He had delivered for slavery in Egypt, does not

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restrict its scope or its application to others. Even the Egyptians were required to live by that Law. It follows then, that just as the Law was the rule of life for those who were delivered from slavery in Egypt, it is also the rule of life for all whom God has delivered and would deliver from slavery to sin. Taking the foregoing into consideration, if our view of the Law, as to its purpose, fails to see these primary aspects of it, we will have an improper understanding of its usefulness to us. This will result in a consequent misuse of it, both in our relationship to God and in our relationship to our fellow men. A proper understanding of its purpose is essential to the practice of good religion. THE INCENTIVES FOR OBEDIENCE The second point that I mentioned for consideration is that of God providing incentives for our obedience to the Law. These incentives we must view as additions, because apart from them we will observe that we are still obligated to obey God. On what grounds are we obligated to obey God? We are obligated to obey God because of the following: It is God who caused us to be born in this world and who sustains our lives and provides us with all things. This is true of all human beings, whether or not they recognize and serve the true and living God. Acts 17:24-27; "The God who made the world and all

things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one , every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they should seek God,

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For those of us who have been redeemed from our sins, it is God who has redeemed us, has given to us His name and His Spirit and has not left us ignorant as to what He requires of us, having provided the rules by which we are to live to please Him. This spiritual redemption is illustrated by the physical redemption of the nation Israel from Egypt in the events surrounding Gods giving of His Law.

Ex 19:4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself.

If we have been redeemed from our sins, He has also taken the time to give us a sight and sense of His awe-inspiring majesty, and has placed within our hearts an appreciation of His sovereignty. Because of these things we are placed under an infinite obligation to serve Him alone as our God and Master and Lord.

Ex 20:2-3 the land

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

"You shall have no other gods before Me.

On those grounds we are obligated to serve God, we need nothing more. In spite of this God still provided additional incentives for obedience, to His human creatures. They were given at the same time he gave the Law at Mount Sinai. What are those incentives? There are only two. The first is that He shows mercy to those who love Him and keep His commandments and the second is that He visits with iniquity those who hate Him and do not keep His commandments.

Ex 20:5-6 5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate
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Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Those incentives are intended to help us to yield to His authority, gladly performing His biddings on the one hand, while turning away from, with abhorrence, the things that He forbids, on the other. In this we see both the goodness and the severity of God which are intended to encourage willing obedience to Him. CONCLUSION The conclusion is that God has given His Law as the only standard of righteousness which is acceptable to Him. In so doing it exposes to us our own unrighteousness. Trying to keep it doesnt make us righteous; it exposes us for what we really are. It restrains us from going to the full extent of what we are capable of, but that restraint does not commend us to God. We remain condemned because we still miss the mark. Gods Law is still and will always be, the only rule of life for all of humanity. God is the creator and sustainer of all life. As such, without any further incentives all His creatures are required to obey Him. That notwithstanding, God has provided incentives to encourage obedience. They are blessings for obedience and punishment for disobedience.

By Aldwyn Lake